Guide · Just the two of you
Eloping in Cancun and Tulum
An elopement here can be just the two of you on a beach at the end of the day. It is simpler than a wedding, but the light, the place and the hour still decide how it looks. This is how I would plan one on this coast.
Where: a beach, a gazebo or a rooftop at your resort. When: start about an hour and a half before sunset, around 4:45 p.m. in December and 6:00 p.m. in June. Resort packages: from about $709 to $2,099 for the two of you. Photography: a few hours usually hold the whole story.
What an elopement looks like here
Most elopements on this coast are a symbolic ceremony for the two of you, sometimes with a few people who matter. The officiant, the setup and the flowers usually come from your resort. The legal part is often done at home, before or after. The destination wedding guide explains the legal options.
Without guests, the day is yours to shape. You can get ready slowly, have the ceremony when the light is best, and spend the last hour on the beach. That freedom is the reason most couples choose it.
Where to have the ceremony
The beach is the classic choice. The beaches here face east, over the Caribbean, so the sun sets behind the hotels and the sand gets soft, even light in the last hour. A gazebo by the sea gives shade and a frame for the ceremony. A rooftop sees the sky in every direction, including the west.
If you want the sun itself in the photographs, look at the lagoon and bay side. At Hyatt Ziva Cancun and NIZUC the evening light falls over the water. In Tulum, the boutique hotels on the beach suit an elopement well, with small decks and quiet stretches of sand. The beach wedding guide covers the beaches I know.
When: the hour decides the photographs
Start the ceremony about an hour and a half before sunset. On December 15, sunset is around 6:10 p.m., so the ceremony would be around 4:45 p.m. In June, sunset comes around 7:30 p.m., and the ceremony moves to about 6:00 p.m. The ceremony time guide calculates it for your exact date.
Midday light is hard on faces, and the white sand throws it back up. In the late afternoon it softens, and the last half hour before sunset is the best of the day for portraits.
The resort elopement packages
Many resorts sell a package for the two of you. These are the published 2026 prices of the ones I know, shown as ranges where the sources disagree. They are the resorts’ prices, not mine, and they change, so confirm them with each resort’s wedding team.
| Resort | Package | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Ziva CancunCancun | Just for the Two of You | $709 – $1,389 |
| Dreams Playa MujeresPlaya Mujeres and Costa Mujeres | Elope in Luxury | From $1,549 |
| Excellence Playa MujeresPlaya Mujeres and Costa Mujeres | Lovebirds | From $950 |
| Finest Playa MujeresPlaya Mujeres and Costa Mujeres | Lovebirds | From $950 |
| Dreams NaturaPuerto Morelos | Elope in Luxury | From $1,800 |
| Dreams Riviera CancunPuerto Morelos | Elope in Luxury | From $1,599 |
| Royalton Riviera CancunPuerto Morelos | Just the Two of Us | From $769 |
| Secrets Akumal Riviera MayaAkumal | Elope in Luxury | $1,549–$1,849 |
| Dreams TulumTulum | Elope in Luxury | $1,399 – $1,799 |
| Secrets TulumTulum | Elope in Luxury | $1,799–$2,099 |
Some packages include a few photos or a short video by the resort’s own team. If you bring your own photographer, the resort may charge an outside vendor fee, which it sets and changes. Ask the coordinator to confirm it in writing for your date.
How much photography an elopement needs
A few hours usually hold the whole story: the last details of getting ready, the ceremony, and the portraits in the last light. There are no family groups to organize and no reception to wait for, so the time goes to the two of you.
I plan it backwards from sunset, the same way I plan a full wedding. Tell me your date and your resort, and I will tell you where I would start and how long I would stay.
Couples on their own, and a small beach ceremony
Questions couples ask
Can we elope in Mexico legally?
Yes, but a legal civil wedding in Mexico takes paperwork, documents and time before the day. Many couples sign at home and have a symbolic ceremony here, which needs no paperwork at all. The destination wedding guide explains both.
How much does it cost to elope in Cancun?
The resorts’ published elopement packages run from about $709 to $2,099 for the two of you, and a few are free with a minimum number of paid room nights. Add flowers, a dinner and your photographer. Photography for an elopement usually needs a few hours, not a full wedding day.
What is the best time of day to elope in Cancun?
Late afternoon. Start the ceremony about an hour and a half before sunset, around 4:45 p.m. in December and 6:00 p.m. in June, so the portraits run into the last light. The beaches face east, so the sun sets behind the hotels and the sand gets soft, even light.
Can we elope on a beach without booking a resort?
Beaches in Mexico are public, but a ceremony on a public beach may need a permit, and you lose the shade, the restroom and the plan B a resort gives you. For most couples a resort elopement package is the simplest way. If you want a beach away from any hotel, ask a local planner what it needs.
Do we need guests to elope in Mexico?
Not for a symbolic ceremony: it can be just the two of you and the officiant. A legal civil ceremony in Mexico needs witnesses, so check the requirements before you plan it that way.
What is the best time of year to elope in Cancun or Tulum?
November to April is the driest and most comfortable. Summer is hot and humid, with short afternoon storms from June to October. Sargassum changes from year to year, beach to beach and week to week.
More guides
Thinking of eloping?
Tell me your date and where you are staying. I will tell you the best spot and time for that day, and how many hours I would plan.